Israel, the World, and Us

If I had my druthers, the never ending conflict between Israel and Palestine would be but a small news brief in American newspapers. But since we police the world we must always monitor our global police scanner, where not only Israel’s conflicts, but those of Korea, the nation of Georgia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, now Turkey and pretty much everywhere else becomes the United States’ business because we insist on making it such. What many Americans bizarrely consider national “defense,” is actually an aggressive and enduring offense—and yet we are always surprised when other nations get offended.

This week, Israeli soldiers raided a Turkish “flotilla” seeking to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza—or from Israel’s perspective, illegally broke a blockade. When the Israeli soldiers boarded the flotilla, they were attacked by those on board—something the flotilla passengers called self-defense and Israel deemed reason enough to open fire. The end result: Nine passengers dead, many soldiers wounded, 700 activists arrested or “kidnapped” (depending on your perspective), an irate Turkey and an indignant Israel. Many nations have condemned Israel for these actions—and have condemned the United States for not sufficiently condemning Israel. Washington, DC is over 5,000 miles from Tel Aviv, and yet somehow Israel’s controversies always automatically become ours. Why?

This basic question is not simply, so-called “isolationist” naiveté, something critics would no doubt charge. Quite the opposite—it is human nature to have a blindness toward the big questions because we get so caught up in the little ones. The average idiot couple arguing on the Maury Povich Show get so caught up in their own “he said, she said” white trash narrative they never stop to consider whether there’s any real value to their obviously, irreparably damaged relationship. The same goes for America’s relationship with not only Israel, but much of the globe, where our foreign policy is eternally bogged down by the same sort of well-meaning, but ultimately idealistic minutia. Writes foreign affairs analyst Andrew J. Bacevich: “The bedrock assumption to which all of official Washington adheres, liberal Democrats no less than conservative Republicans, is that the United States itself constitutes the axis around which history turns. We define the future. Our actions determine its course. The world needs, expects, and yearns for America to lead, thereby ensuring the ultimate triumph of liberty.”

Bacevich gives a fairly accurate description of America’s view of itself and its place on the world stage, and also how the US insists only it can play the lead role. Continues Bacevich, “For the United States to shrink from its responsibility to lead is, at the very least, to put at risk the precarious stability to which humanity clings and in all likelihood would open the door to unspeakable catastrophe. Alternatives to American leadership simply do not exist.”

When there was a skirmish between Russia and Georgia in 2008, then presidential candidate John McCain exclaimed “we are all Georgians now.” No we’re not. I don’t know any Americans who think that. The Korean War ended a half century ago and yet we still have nearly 40,000 troops stationed there, something that takes on a special significance given the recent actions by North Korea. Defenders of the foreign policy status quo maintain the North Korea’s aggression only underscores the need for a US presence there. Really? For how much longer? Another 50 years? Afghanistan is now the longest shooting war in American history. When the shooting finally stops—a highly improbable scenario—how long will American troops remain? 50 years? How long will they be in Iraq? McCain famously said troops could be in Iraq for up to “a hundred years” during the election.

Consider this—Israel’s recent attack or interception was on a Turkish ship in international waters. Turkey is part of NATO, Israel isn’t. According to that charter, the US must now go to war with Israel. No one is suggesting any such insanity, but it is worth noting in the sense that anyone who suggests NATO is a Cold War relic that should be scrapped, is typically ridiculed or marginalized for making such a suggestion. America simply has to be everywhere and at all times because, as Bacevich sarcastically describes, it could “put at risk the precarious stability to which humanity clings.” Some call such idealistic claptrap “strength.” It’s stupid.

To question any of this is to be called an “isolationist,” to question our special relationship with Israel is to be called “anti-Semitic,” and to ask questions, period, about one of the most expensive, damaging and irrational foreign policies in history is politically taboo. The seemingly hopeless conflict between Israel and the Palestinians should have never been our fight, but we’ve made it ours, a point driven home by the events of this week. How many more such lessons must we be taught and will we ever learn them?

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12 Responses to Israel, the World, and Us

Jack, what don’t you get about the fact that Israel illegally boarded ships in international waters that were not armed and carrying urgent supplies to the victims of Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza ? We have given Israel a blank check since at least 1948, though an idiot Congress actually endorsed a Zionist state in Palestine in 1922 ! With the exception of Ike
and Dulles, 1953-57, Israel has always had its way. We have given Israel tens of billions of tax dollars since 1967. I suspect it’s at least 150 billion but a much higher figure is possible. Your comments are disingenuous. Obama should
be ashamed of his idiot VP for endorsing this latest act of Israeli terrorism and Hillary for trying to hush it up.
This blood is equally on our hands for our longstanding blank check. We need to get involved here big time to undo all the tremendous damage that we have done.
By the way, AIPAC now controls over 400 Members of the House and over 90 Senators to do its bidding any time.
Little late for “isolationism” here.

Unlike the Hasbara, Jack always puts American first! Well done! I hope you’ll do a video commemorating our lost men in uniform on the 8th of June when we observe the anniversary of the attack on the USS Liberty.

I guess it doesn’t occur to you that one reason you are called anti-Semitic is that you ARE anti-Semitic! You want a small, civilized country surrounded by barbarous, fanatical and pre-medievalist enemies to be deprived on any means of defending itself (the way human beings are allowed to defend themselves, but not,, presumably, untermenschen).

Izzy, the World and us? Count me out, no thank you. I’m full. You know what I thought today when the Los Angeles Times posted an article about Izzy peacefully boarding a charitable aid ship? ……..Charlie Manson forcefully enters Starlet’s home. Goes through her underwear drawer, takes a few items. Leaves without injury or mayhem. Charlie, apparently has truly been rehabilitated.

What about American’s. Too busy with Spongebob to read, or learn history? Remember what Kennedy said – not quoted directly, but – it is not the lie we need to worry about, but the myth.

This thought just came into my head. Could the same people that worte the 911 Commission be the ones who introduced America to the holocaust?

It is time that all realize that Israel is doing what all existing nations have done at some time in the past. Israel is in the process of the conquest of a tribal homeland. The unchosen locals are to be removed, killed, assimilated or enslaved. We did it to the Indians. The record holding Viking Great Russians expanded Muscovy for eleven time zones. Even in notably stable England, the Angles and Saxons did it to the Picts and Jutes and were then supplanted by Normans. (actually more Vikings). Anywhere and everywhere we find soverign control of territory, we will, if we look back far eneough, find (usually violent) displacement of the prior residents. Israel’s problem is that there’s a whole mess of Injuns and the attempted conquest and the necessarily attendant atrocities is occurring in an age of instant world wide communication and increasingly ubiquitous weapons of mass destruction. Invasions sometimes fail and territorial conquests are often reversed. See Alexander, Napoleon, Hitler and Lenin/Stalin. This could all end badly.

Your reference to “white trash narrative” was gratuitous and a tad offensive as it marginalizes poor uneducated whites. I take it that your adhering to the politically correct sterotyping that has been in vogue for some time. Oh, you got the elitist acceptance to “trash” poor uneducated whites.

Without our “special relationship” with Israel, this country would be at least $1,000,000,000,000 richer, the moeny spent on the wasteful wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. When you factor in our steady economic decline, which began with the Arab Oil Boycott, launched in 1973, for pulling Israel’s bacon from the fire during the Yom Kippur war, that our relationship with Israel has been a very bad deal for America becomes inarguable.

Israel and their apologists have created a situation that will have a grave impact on their people when the public finally figures out how US power has been rigged in favor of Israel. The arrogance is amazing. Israel is of absolutely no value to the United States. None. Any criticism is met with howling and calls for the destruction of whomever may be guilty in their eyes. There is no level they won’t sink to to destroy someone. Helen Thomas will have her head on a platter by months’ end.
They and their apologists guard the borders of discourse with fangs bared. Do they not know what awaits them? When their facade collapses and the truth of their selfish lies surface it will be horrible, innocent Jews will suffer.
Israel is so certain of their disinformation machine that they didn’t even wait for the flotilla to leave International waters. Of course, the US naval vessel Liberty which they attacked for hours wasn’t any different. They got off scot free there with a cowardly, vicious attack on an American ship. Wonder what they were hiding? It is close to time for them again to feel the rage of the people they seek to dominate.

“You want a small, civilized country surrounded by barbarous, fanatical and pre-medievalist enemies to be deprived on any means of defending itself (the way human beings are allowed to defend themselves, but not,, presumably, untermenschen).”

You mean Egypt and Jordan, with which Israel has signed peace treaties? You guys can never clearly identify who your enemies are, yet Americans are expected to just sign off.

“I guess it doesn’t occur to you that one reason you are called anti-Semitic is that you ARE anti-Semitic! You want a small, civilized country surrounded by barbarous, fanatical and pre-medievalist enemies to be deprived on any means of defending itself”

Has it occurred to you that those enemies of that “small, civilized country” are themselves Semites? By speaking of Arabs thus, you have tarred yourself with your own brush. And, no, it is not anti-Semitic to criticize Israel for repeatedly acting in a manner that undermines American security as well as their own. Indeed, Hamas would not even be a problem right now if only Israel did not tacitly permit that Islamist group to come into being and thereafter encouraged by Israel to be a counterweight to the secular PLO. If Israel desires a freer hand in prosecuting its defense policies, it should renounce American foreign aid–aid which needlessly implicates America in the Israel-Palestine muddle–especially in light of Israel’s induction into the OECD. Were America to plug the spigot perhaps the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would cease to be a muddle and would become soluble on local terms.